[jyl]

I failed at this recently, and feel bad about it.

Was at optometrist. Older guy with a walker, looked not affluent if you will, came in with his eyeglass prescription, asked if they could fill it and bill Medicare the $200, they said no, and he left. I caught up with him outside, and asked him to come back and I’d pay for his eyeglasses. He said no need, he was headed to a place that would bill Medicare, but thanks. I realized later, back at the optometrist, that I could have given him the money that his eyeglasses would have cost. I didn’t think of it in time, normally I don’t have much cash on me but that day I happened to have a few hundred $ in my wallet. I also realized, after talking to the optometrist, that he might not have been telling the truth about the place that would bill Medicare.

I was once at the convenience store and realized I’d forgotten my wallet. As usual I was dressed like a homeless person (that’s if you believe my wife’s constant complaint; I don’t think I look that bad). An elegantly dressed black lady paid for whatever I was trying to buy (I forget what it was, probably $10 worth). I’ve never forgotten that.

Another time, I was standing on the corner in Milan holding my daughter who was a baby at the time, I was very tanned dark-skinned, dressed in worn light-weight clothes, and surrounded by battered luggage, because we’d just spent three months in Australia, New Zealand and Bali where it was full-on summer. It was a freezing January morning and beautifully dressed Italians came up and gave me money. I’ve never forgotten that either. (I took the money.)

So, I need to do better.